Antimicrobial compositions are particularly needed in the food and beverage industries to clean and sanitize processing facilities such as pipelines, tanks, mixers, etc. and continuously operating homogenation or pasteurization apparatus. Sanitizing compositions have been formulated in the past to combat microbial growth in such facilities. For example, Wang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,040, teaches a short chain fatty acid sanitizing composition comprising an aliphatic short chain fatty acid, a hydrotrope solubilizer capable of solubilizing the fatty acid in both the concentrate and use solution, and a hydrotrope compatible acid so that the use solution has a pH in the range of 2.0 to 5.0.
Peroxy-containing compositions are known for use in the production of microbicidal agents. One such composition is disclosed in Bowing et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,059 containing peracetic acid, acetic acid or mixtures of peracetic and acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, anionic surface active compounds such as sulfonates and sulfates, and water.
Peracetic acid, generally using some concentrations of acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide has been shown to be a good biocide, but only at fairly high concentrations (generally greater than 100 parts peracetic acid per million (ppm)). Similarly, peroxyfatty acids have also been shown to be biocidal, but only at high concentrations (greater than 200 ppm), such as in the composition disclosed in European Patent Application No. 233,731. Peroxyacetic acid is a good biocide, but it possesses a very strong odor, especially in the concentrate. For general use applications, for example, as a floor disinfectant or as an automatic dish wash destainer or sanitizer, it is desirable to have a product with low odor. Thus, it is desirable to obtain a low odor peroxy antimicrobial formulation that is at least as effective as peroxyacetic acid.
Antimicrobial compositions having low use concentrations (less than 100 ppm) which effectively kill microbes are particularly desirable. Low concentrations minimize use cost, surface corrosion, odor, carryover of biocide into foods and potential toxic effects to the user. Therefore, a continuing need exists to provide such an antimicrobial composition for use in food processing, food service and health care facilities. In contrast to the prior art, the composition of the present invention has the unique advantage of having unanticipated excellent antimicrobial or biocidal activity at low level use concentrations.